Improvement in corn-harvesters



UNITED STATES PATENT riucn.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORN-HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 22,583, dated January 11, 1859. v

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ISAAC BEAMER, of Conrads Store, in the county of Rockingham and State ot'Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Corn-Harvesters, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact descripltion, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specication, and in which- Figure l represents a perspective View of a corn-harvesterconstructed,according to myimprovement, and Fig. 2 a top view or plan of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures of the drawings.

The nature of myinven tion consists in anovel construction and arrangement ot' guides or ways to conduct the corn to the reel, and otherwise assist in directing the run and hold of the machine traveling on sliding runners against the corn; also, in a novel arrangement of a sweeping clearer for discharging the cut corn from oit' the platform.

Io enable others skilled in'machines of this class to make and use myimproven1ent,l now proceed minutely to describe it.

In the accompanying drawings,Ais the draft bar or pole, arranged on one side of the machine, which is here shown to slide on runners B at a suitable distance apart, and made bowing upward in front. These runners are arranged under the platform C of the machine, in front ot' which they project, and are connected by cross and diagonal braces, constituting the frame-work of the machine. Between the runners, and formed, it may be said, by the connecting diagonal braces which contract backwardly, is a taper-shaped space for the corn to enter the machine. One side of this space is provided with a spring-guide, a, secured in front, and the other side may have a short rigid guide, b, immediately in advance of the cutter D, which obliquely faces the sprngguide a, but is higher than it, said cutter occupying somewhat of an elevated position, and being arranged to cut obliquely upward, as well as set in direction of its length to give a drawing cut, and preferably made elastic.

0n the cutter side ofthe machine is erected a perpendicular shaft, c, carrying at its top a horizontal wheel or reel, E, arranged to overhang the cornreceiving space E ata suitable height above the cutter an d mainly in advance of the cutter. This reel is so disposed as to have free rotation on its axis, andv is designed to be rotated by the friction of the cornstalks in passing it. On the opposite side of thecorn-receiving space are comparatively rigid guides d e, arranged to occupy an elevated position, and 4designed to act in concert with the spring-guide a below them. These rigid guides d e are situated one above the other, and are set to directithe corn in toward the reel, and in their rear are bent at right angles t0 4and toward the line ot' draft. One or both of said guides are made adjustable to vary their altitute. In the drawings, the lower one, e, only is shown thus adjustable by means of a set-screw,f, and sliding socket g, connecting it to the shank which sustains the upper guide, d. The altitute of said adjustable guide e is varied to suit different heights of corn, and by 'means of its socket-connection with the shank of the upper guide it may also be more or less turned to vary its Obliquity toward the reel and cutter. Parallel, or therealoout, to the bent back extensions of these two last-described guides, in rear ofthem,is an additional guide, h. A clearer, Gr, is pivoted to the platform ata point, z', in front on the draft sideto sweep across the platform in a curvilinear direction, and discharge the cut corn at the side of the machine. rIhis clearer may be operated by a rod, lr, attached to its front swinging ends, and be actuated by hand or otherwise to clear the platform of cut corn at suitable intervals.

The machine being setin motion, the guides c, d, and e will serve materially by the action ot' the stalks against them, to keep the machine in a proper course on its runners and hold it fair to its work. rIhe lower guide on the draft side of the recess F being elastic, a comparatively easy guiding-pressure will be exerted below, where the cornstalks are less pliable, and thus the draft will be eased,while the rigid guides d c above will act more positively and rmlyon the yielding upper portions of the stalks, and the several guides serve to direct the -corn up against the reel E, which, freely turning by the friction of the stalks against it, eases the corn from retarding pressure on the cutter side, facilitates the passage ofthe corn to the cutter D, and insures the cut corn falling straight between the rear guide, 7L, and the bent extensions of the raised front guides, d e, for the clearer to effect its easy removal, as before described; and here it may be observed that the elevated rigid guide e, having both its altitude and Obliquity variable, the pressure on the stalks in the passage of the corn to the reel admits of every requisite regulation; also that the rigid upper guides,act

ingin concert with a spring-guide below, a guiding-pressure is induced corresponding with the difference of pliability in the stalks above and below.

What I claim as my invention,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. 'lhc combination ofthe elasticlower guide, 

